After everyone finished dinner, the whole family, from the young to the old, took up torches and headed to the ancestral hall.

Even babies just a few months old were carried along. Those who couldn’t find a seat in the ancestral hall stood outside the main gate. It was more organized than when wolves were hunted during the New Year.

Every household brought torches, and the firelight made the ancestral hall brighter than daytime.

The village head had announced in advance that every villager over eight years old could vote in the election for the new village head.

This made Da Lang and Second Lang extremely excited. Holding their voting tokens, they hurried through their dinners and stood in the courtyard urging everyone to move quickly.

Qin Yao hadn’t had enough to eat yet and told Ah Wang to take them to the ancestral hall first while she stayed back to leisurely enjoy her delicious dinner before setting off.

The election at the ancestral hall had already started.

The village head read out the names from the list, and those whose names were called stood up, both surprised and excited, and stood in the center of the ancestral hall.

Each person had a tall bamboo cylinder in front of them, and villagers could put their vote in the cylinder of the person they supported. The one with the highest number would become the next village head.

There were five candidates for the village head position.

They were Liu Dafu, of high seniority in the village; Liu Qi, young and promising; Liu Yang, the clan leader’s eldest son; Liu Ji, a Great Scholar’s Disciple; and Liu Bai, steward of the stationery factory’s fleet.

By the time Qin Yao arrived, the voting had been going on for a while.

Da Lang and Second Lang still hadn’t cast their votes.

"Uncle Ah Wang, should we vote for my dad or for the eldest uncle?" Da Lang asked, somewhat torn.

The villagers’ voting criteria were simple and straightforward. They were not very satisfied with any of the five candidates, so they chose to vote for the one closest to them.

In this regard, Liu Dafu, Liu Qi, and the clan leader’s Liu Yang had obvious advantages.

Yet even so, the bamboo cylinders in front of the three only had votes from their own family members so far.

The rest of the villagers were still hesitating because everyone felt that there was something lacking about these five people, none of them were quite satisfactory.

Take Liu Dafu, for instance—he was quite good to the tenant farmers, but he was overly thrifty and somewhat conceited, commonly known as petty-minded.

If he became the village head, he’d become the big boss who had the final say everywhere in the village. More than half of the village rented land from him, and if he started exploiting them, there would be nowhere to lodge a grievance.

As for Liu Qi, he was quite nice, had traveled far, and had more experience than other young men in the village. He was also capable of handling matters.

But the problem was, his youthful exuberance and impulsive nature meant he wasn’t steady enough.

Liu Yang from the clan leader’s family was indeed steady, perhaps even too steady, staying silent most of the time. He had been part of many things done for the village, but few people remembered him.

If he became the village head, people wouldn’t know how to talk to him.

Regarding Liu Bai, he was alright in every aspect, but unfortunately, he could hardly read any words. He had no particularly outstanding qualities. You wouldn’t make a mistake choosing him, but nothing good would come of it either.

In comparison, Liu Ji, the Great Scholar’s Disciple, seemed pretty good.

However, his household was run by a domineering lady. Picking him as village head seemed no different than picking Qin Yao.

At the very least, Liu Family Village wouldn’t be bullied, and it could become a reputable village in the vicinity.

But!

Remembering Liu Ji’s past as a rambunctious character, and his unchanged behavior, the villagers shuddered in unison.

They dared not let him become the village head, or who knows what chaos he’d bring to Liu Family Village.

Seeing the villagers hesitate, Ah Wang patted the shoulders of the two puzzled young boys and gave them a good piece of advice, "If you’re not satisfied, you can abstain."

The brothers realized, indeed! If dissatisfied, they did not have to vote!

However, just as Da Lang and Second Lang were about to discard their votes, a sweet, clear female voice suddenly rang out from the corner.

"Why isn’t Manager Qin, Qin Yao’s name on the list?"

The voice wasn’t loud, but it was penetrating.

The villagers, still whispering about who to choose, fell silent and looked toward the source of the voice in surprise.

Yin Le, lying on the wall, was next to He, who helped her up there.

Seeing everyone in the ancestral hall looking over, He’s heart pounded numbly, regretting not covering Yin Le’s mouth earlier.

He thought to herself: Moon Niang, you should be more attentive!

Quickly, she slipped off the wall and disappeared.

Yin Le indeed had a rebellious streak. She promptly climbed down from the wall and entered through the front gate of the ancestral hall.

The villagers looked at her in shock and instinctively made way.

Yin Le walked unimpeded to the candidates, pointed at them, and asked again:

"If they can be candidates, why can’t someone as capable as Manager Qin?"

Facing such a sharp question, the ancestral hall remained silent for a while—a whole cup of tea’s time.

Finally, someone spoke, "How can a woman be a village head?"

Yin Le’s sharp gaze swept over. It was Liu Yang from the clan leader’s family who spoke.

He looked at her as if she were a heinous rebel.

Yin Le never expected this seemingly younger-than-Liu Dafu man to have an even more stubborn mind than Liu Dafu.

At least, when she asked the question, Liu Dafu had no confidence to rebut.

Liu Yang was indeed very nervous under Yin Le’s scrutinizing gaze. Only after speaking did he realize how far-fetched his reason was when applied to Qin Yao, and he feared Yin Le’s retort.

Yet, she didn’t engage him in argument or debate about the differences between men and women. She simply turned to address all the villagers of Liu Family Village, loudly asking: "Who do you think should be the village head?"

Second Lang glanced back at Uncle Ah Wang, who nodded slightly, indicating he could speak if he wanted to. Second Lang immediately ran to the front of the villagers and said:

"Whoever has the ability to lead Liu Family Village to a better future should be the village head!"

After speaking, he quickly ran back, winking proudly at his big brother and the Dragon and Phoenix Twin siblings.

With reminders from Second Lang and Yin Le, the villagers, who had been hesitating, finally reacted. They realized they had been nitpicking the candidates because they already had an answer in their hearts!

That person wasn’t Liu Dafu, Liu Qi, Liu Yang, Liu Ji, or Liu Gong. It was Qin Yao.

"Village head, add Manager Qin’s name!"

Surprisingly, it was Liu Qi who said this.

Before the village head could feel shocked, a villager spoke, "Please add Miss Qin’s name!"

"Add Qin Yao’s name!"

Yun Niang and Mrs. Qiu echoed loudly from outside the crowd.

Afraid of being discovered, they hid under a tree after shouting, covering their mouths in laughter, their eyes bright as blazing fire.

Hearing the call for Qin Yao, Yin Le’s lips curled up. Looking as if she were hiding achievements and name, she turned to leave.

Yet, as she reached the ancestral hall’s entrance, a hand pressed on her shoulder.

Yin Le was slightly startled and looked up to see Qin Yao’s slightly smiling face.

The corner of her mouth, raised under the veil, instantly fell.

"Benefactor! I, I..."

A finger, lightly placed on her lips through the veil, stifled Yin Le’s words.

The expected reproach didn’t come.

Qin Yao patted Yin Le’s shoulder, then walked past her with large strides to the center of the ancestral hall, smiling radiantly at the astonished villagers.

She said, "Since the enthusiasm is overwhelming, I dare to put my name on the list."

Upon saying that, she glanced around. Failing to find an extra bamboo cylinder, she took the empty offering basin used during sacrifices at the ancestral hall’s altar, placed it in front of her, and stood with the other five candidates.

With a raised hand, she welcomed the votes!